[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 5]
[House]
[Page 5999]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                 APPOINTING A SPECIAL ENVOY FOR HUNGER

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Chocola). Under a previous order of the 
House, the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Wolf) is recognized for 5 
minutes.
  Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, last week I wrote U.N. Secretary General Kofi 
Annan requesting he appoint a special envoy to respond to the hunger 
crisis throughout the world. U.N. special envoys have been appointed to 
respond to crises over the years, and what could be more compelling 
than millions of lives endangered?
  Hunger is devastating Africa, North Korea, Argentina, and has reached 
into all corners of the globe. One of the worst cases is the current 
situation in Africa. Africa is on the brink of a crisis of biblical 
proportions. Thirty million people, 30 million, are at risk of 
malnutrition and starvation in Africa alone. This is on top, Mr. 
Speaker, of the HIV/AIDS crisis that is consuming resources that would 
otherwise be devoted to famine relief.
  When I traveled to Ethiopia in January and Eritrea earlier this year, 
I saw firsthand the bloated bellies and the weak limbs of the children, 
and I was reminded of the devastation I saw when I was in Ethiopia with 
former Congressman Tony Hall in 1984 and 1985 during that famine. 
African countries in particular are suffering from donor fatigue and a 
lack of attention. The flood of international news has kept the reality 
of this situation away from people in many Western countries. When I 
think of some of the stupid shows that some of the networks run, like 
Joe Millionaire, Survivor, and these things, and how little time they 
are actually spending on the hunger and the starvation of people in 
every continent, it is very, very discouraging.
  North Korea and Central Asia also teeter on the brink of crisis. In 
North Korea there are reports that up to 80 percent of the humanitarian 
relief never even reaches the North Korean people. If left unchecked, 
thousands and millions of North Korean lives will be in jeopardy.
  Even in Argentina, once a middle class Latin American country, hunger 
is now widespread. Hospitals are regularly treating diseases caused by 
lack of protein and poor nutrition. Children in Argentina are dying of 
malnutrition, and in some communities relief organizations have 
classified 90 percent of the children as undernourished. Yes, in 
Argentina. This is especially tragic for a country that has more 
livestock than people.
  This, Mr. Speaker, is a global crisis and it demands a global 
response. No one country can meet these needs. We in the United States 
should be proud, for in the year 2002 the United States Government, the 
American people, contributed 51 percent of all the food, compared to 
the EC and Europe's combined contribution of only 27 percent of the 
donations of the U.N. World Food Programme. Many countries have the 
ability to give more and may just be waiting to be asked. Time, 
resources and attention must be devoted to mobilizing and coordinating 
the resources required.
  The lives of millions of women and children hang in the balance. A 
special representative, a special envoy under the leadership of the 
U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan can mobilize the financial and 
material resources required, coordinate the international organization 
to achieve mutual relief and unity of effort, develop an integrated 
plan and provide operational direction and remove obstacles. This 
position is critical to reenergizing the global community, refocusing 
attention on this situation, and, most importantly, saving millions of 
lives.
  In closing, Mr. Speaker, I would urge my colleagues on both sides of 
the aisle to contact the U.N. directly and encourage them to adopt a 
strategy to save the lives of the millions of women and children that 
hang in the balance. Attention by this Congress will send a loud and 
clear message. Otherwise, many of these 30 million or more will die.

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